The Hart's True Desire
by audreylou
Summary: When Zoe Hart is confronted with the fact that her cousin is dating her ex-boyfriend, how will she react? Memories from the past come back to her and she can't seem to hide her feelings for Wade anymore. Set after 3x8.
1. Chapter 1 - Wrong Percentages

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hart of Dixie.**

**A/N:** Not my first story for HoD but I hope this one turns out better. In the end of the chapter, please review so I can get some feedback. Thanks.

* * *

**Chapter One - Wrong Percentages**

Zoe was entering the Rammer Jammer when she saw her cousin, Vivian Wilkes, leaving the restaurant/bar. You could see that happening very often, now. Wade and Vivian were, as Zoe hated to name it, kind of dating. They were casually meeting each other in Bluebell and they had been talking, out in public not afraid of anyone seeing them, for a long time. Zoe had seen them a few times talking by town's square and Joel had said "Look how happy they look", the type of comment that Zoe rather not to hear, but she had to admit - only to herself - that they really looked happy together. And they weren't even... dating, really dating.

Once her thoughts flew away, she looked again to Joel who was still talking about his new novel. She nodded her head, walking to an available table, pretending to hear every word coming out of Joel's mouth.

"I think this is going to be a huge book, a best-seller maybe and you know why?" Joel laughed, and shook his head in disbelief with himself, like he was thinking _'how come I never thought of it before?'_. Zoe looked at him and arched her eyebrows, waiting for his answer "Because I'm basing this story on life. Our life, this town... everything is coming up wonderfully together,"

"What do you mean?" Zoe shook her head, confused. She really has to start listening more to what Joel says to her, and stop thinking about things that don't deserve her time - Wade and Vivian - or one day Joel will notice she doesn't listen to him and things will get ugly.

"I can see you were distracted," he smirked and continued to explain the whole meaning of his new story. And, once more, Zoe wasn't listening but this time she wasn't thinking about Wade; she was thinking about Joel. He was such a great guy, and Zoe was aware of it. He was mature, and a totally different guy. He could have a normal conversation with her and when she was in a bad mood, Joel would take care of her and put up with her for the rest of the day. He was everything she once dreamed of, and she finally had it but something was wrong. She had that feeling that she didn't deserve him._ 'Maybe I don't. And I will end up losing him if I don't stop thinking about Wade and start listening to him'_ she thought.

"And that's how I came with this idea for my new book," Joel stop talking, breathless. Zoe just smiled.

"That's a great idea, honey," she said in a soft voice.

"Thanks, I'm really excited for this," he smiled, proud of himself and Zoe stared at him for a brief moment "What? Do I have something in my face?" Joel started to rub his face.

"No, nothing. I just... I love you" Zoe smirked and kissed him in his cheek.

"Maybe I should come back in a few minutes," Zoe heard the familiar voice of Wade right beside her. She sat straight in her chair and took a hold of the Menu pretending that he wasn't there. Wade. Ruining her best moments since she was in that town. She could feel her blood boiling in her veins, with anger.

"I will have some pancakes," Zoe said in a casual tone. She looked at Joel, with her eyebrows arched, trying to avoid Wade's presence "And you baby, what do you want?"

"Hm... Some waffles and a cup of coffee," he said, watching Wade taking note of their orders.

"Alright. Doc, would ya like something to drink with ya food?" he asked her and she kept her head down.

"A cup of coffee please," she said. She heard him walk away and looked up again "So, what are you planing to do, today?" she asked Joel.

"I'm just going to stay home, you know, writting. And then maybe we could have dinner here later," Joel said. The idea of returning to the Rammer Jammer again later didn't please Zoe very much, but still she nodded.

"Okay, eight o'clock I'll be here waiting for you," Wade arrived with the food and Zoe got up.

"Where are you going?" Joel asked, holding her wrist.

"I will drink this in the practice, and I need to get to work."

"But... and your pancakes?"

"You can eat those, I'm not so hungry." Zoe kissed Joel's forhead and smiled "See you later,"

And without looking back, afraid of meeting Wade's eyes, she walked out of the Rammer Jammer. She was lying to Joel, she was starving, but if she was going to have dinner later in the Rammer Jammer, she to needed to spend the shortest amount of time possible in there, in the morning.

She shook her head '_Get yourself together Zoe,'_ she said to herself, walking with her head held high_ 'Joel is going to start noticing your behavior. And what a behavior! You are acting weird, girl. What's wrong with you?_' Zoe considered the idea of going back to the Rammer Jammer and eat her pancakes, like nothing happened. But that would be even more weird. So she continued her walk towards the practice, trying to compose herself from her previous behavior.

* * *

"I'm sorry Shula but there's nothing I can do. I'm not a veterinary, I can't see what's wrong with your cat," Zoe said, for the fifth time to Shula Whitaker, who was holding her cat firmly against her chest.

"But you are a doctor, aren't ya? So, see what's the problem with my cat!" Shula insisted, approaching the red cat over to Zoe. She sighed.

"Alright, put the cat on the table" once Shula laid the cat on the table, Zoe looked at her "Why did you brought...-"

"Prince Purrfection, the second," Shula nodded.

"Why did you brought Prince... Purrfection, the second here?" Zoe asked, feeling completely idiot naming the cat. What could she do? People of Bluebell were like this.

"Well, he hasn't eaten. He doesn't want to play with any of his brothers. I tried, but he doesn't want,"

Brothers. Zoe closed her eyes and swallowed tightly. This was going to be a harsh day. She grabbed her stethoscope, putting it at the same time in the cat's belly.

"Alright Mr. Purrfection," 'If you want to belong here, you have to put up with this Zoe' she said to herself "Take a deep breath," she continued saying that for a minute. She did some tests to the cat like she would do to a real person and then she looked to Shula.

"So? What do ya think?" Shula asked in a worried voice.

"Everything's fine," Zoe smiled and pet the cat "He's just a bit tired. Let him do things for his own, in a week if he keeps this odd behavior you should take him to a real vet."

"Oh, those are great news doctor Hart! Thank you very much for your help," she smiled and hugged the cat "Here baby, let's go home so you can do your thing."

Once Shula was out of her office, Zoe sat on her chair, and sighed. That day she was feeling more tired and without patience than usual. If Shula had appeared yesterday in her office asking her to check her cat, Zoe had done it with will.

"I can see that you are now a vet." Brick entered in her office and Zoe looked up to find him laughing.

"Alright, laugh all you want," Zoe straightened herself in the chair "At least, I can say that my patients really trust me to do... everything they ask for,"

"Yeah, you can say it like that. It does really seem better said that way." Brick laughed again but this time Zoe ignored him. Brick opened his mouth to say something but a sweet, too sweet maybe, voice interrupted him.

"Is anyone here?" the voice called, and Zoe could hear the high heels clicking against the floor. Finally, the woman found the door of Zoe's office opened. Zoe gazed at the figure in front of her, and she paralyzed. Brick, on the other side, looked happy to see her.

"Vivian!" he smiled, giving her two kisses on her cheeks "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is okay. I just need to talk to Zoe," she said and gazed over to Zoe, who was still paralyzed and asking herself why the hell was her cousin there. To talk to her. Just why? "Is that okay?" Vivian looked again to Brick. He looked surprised but he nodded.

"Of course, I'm leaving you two alone so you can chat," he said. He stopped by the door of Zoe's office and looked at Vivian again "Nice to see you. You look good."

"Thank you," Vivian said, with a smile appearing in her face. Once Brick was out of the room, Vivian turned to Zoe, who was still sitting by her desk. "Hey Zoe."

"Hello... What's up?" Zoe said in the most casual tone she could put up. She raised from her chair and walked to the front of the desk.

"Nothing... nothing special. I just wanted to ask you something," Zoe noticed that Vivian looked a bit nervous and that was not normal. Usually, it would be Zoe that was nervous talking to her, since she ignored the Wilkes for a long time. But now, the roles were reversed. Vivian gazed at her hands, rubbing them constantly, and Zoe waited for her to say something, with a serious expression.

"I'm sorry I'm so nervous," Vivian laughed nervously "It's just... Huh... Well, me and my family are going to throw a dinner party. For everyone. You should come. I don't say this only by me, but for all of us. We all want you there," she said with a smile. Wow. Zoe didn't see that one coming. Damn it, why did she had to be such a good person? Now Zoe couldn't hate her._ 'Why would you then?'_ a little voice said inside of Zoe's head.

"Of course," she blurted, not thinking twice "That would be awesome."

"Great! I'm so happy you want to join us. Bring Joel with you, and maybe the mayor? And his girlfriend too. You are all welcome there," she smiled "Next week, friday night. Don't be late."

Zoe nodded and she walked away. Zoe sighed when she left. Bringing Lavon and Annabeth? Of course Wade would be there. _Great, just great._

* * *

Zoe entered Lavon's kitchen and closed the door with strenght. Lavon and Annabeth looked at her, obviously scared by the sudden appearance of Zoe, and by the noise. They kept looking at her and she walked through the kitche, without saying a word, and sat by the counter. She grabbed an apple and bit it.

"Well nice to see you Zoe!" Annabeth said, with her eyebrows narrowed "How are you today?" Lavon looked at his girlfriend and shook his head. He knew that his bestfriend was about to start and endless speech about what was wrong in her life.

"How are you today? How... are you... today?!" Zoe repeat Annabeth's words through gritted teeth "I am fine, just fine!"

"Well I'm glad you are alright," Annabeth said, smiling. She realized she had done a big mistake by asking Zoe was she was.

"I'm not alright!" Zoe let her head fall between her arms, in the counter "Can someone please hand me a glass of wine? No, a bottle please!" Lavon appeared on the room with a bottle of white wine in his hands a few seconds later. He gave it to Zoe who immediately opened it and poured the liquid in a glass. She drank that glass instantly. "Maybe you wanna slow down a bit with that," Annabeth said trying to take the bottle of Zoe's hands, but Zoe grabbed the bottle with strenght.

"No, I want to forget that I'm alive," Zoe said, pouring more wine in her glass. Annabeth took a deep breath and sat beside Zoe.

"Can I know what's wrong with you?" Annabeth asked slowly, trying to not sound offensive. She was woman, she knew that women have tough days and all they need is a shoulder to cry on. Or a girl friend to talk it out with "Maybe I can help you,"

Zoe raised her head and looked at Lavon "Leave," Annabeth said to Lavon and he left the kitchen "Now, what's wrong?"

"You sure you can keep a secret?" Zoe said. Annabeth nodded and Zoe sighed "I'm emotionally instable. I don't know what to do anymore, and I'm not telling why. That is just too much for you to handle. It is already for me. I just feel... like a mess."

"Don't think like that Zoe," Annabeth said, trying to think of something else to say, since Zoe's problems were kind of limited "You are not a mess. You have a great boyfriend and a great life here in Bluebell. Yes you have your problems, but you always find a way to solve them."

"I don't know, I feel like this all the time. I'm trying to believe that I'm never going to be happy," Zoe was a Drama Queen and everyone knew that. But this time, she was overreacting.

"Alright, Zoe, you need to end this right now. Stop acting miserably when you are not like that. Just because your day is not going fine, doesn't mean this is going to last for the rest of your life." Zoe was surprised by the sudden answer of Annabeth "Whatever your problem is, solve it, like you always do. Just stop pretending you have a miserable life when you don't."

"I can see that I've upset you," Zoe smirked and Annabeth smiled.

"Not at all. I understand you. We, women, have very sensible and we do have a lot of problems... that can be easily fixed. It's just a case of patience and will." Annabeth put a hand on Zoe's shoulder.

"But what if... my problem, today, is not that easily fixed?" Zoe asked, trying her best to not say what really was going on. Not even herself knows what she is really feeling and what is really happenning.

"Every problem has his solution. You just have to find it," Annabeth said with a shrug "Now, put yourself together and stop drinking like a maniac! Or an alcoholic, that could work too." Zoe laughed and raised from her seat. She put the glass on the dishwasher and the bottle of wine on the fridge.

"You have a lot of patience, Annabeth, thank you for that," Zoe said "I don't have a lot of patience for my problems, and it's hard to find someone who does. And when I feel overloaded with my problems, it's hard to find an answer. So, I drink."

"Have you tried talking to Joel about your problems? After all, he is your boyfriend. I talk about my problems with Lavon all the time." Annabeth said "Well, almost. There are some things we have to hide."

"This one is something I need to hide, believe me." Zoe shook her head and laughed. She couldn't believe how easily she could find problems "Now, I have to go home and prepare myself. I'm going to have dinner with Joel in a few hours in the Rammer Jammer and I need to be... the normal me. Without this messed up makeup."

"Yeah, you should." Annabeth laughed and gazed at Zoe opening the door of the kitchen "Hey, Zoe... if you need to talk... I'll be here."

"Thanks," Zoe said after a brief pause.

* * *

When Zoe and Joel arrived the Rammer Jammer, the chaos was obvious. There were tables where they could seat, but still the Rammer Jammer was filled with the people from Bluebell. A lot of them. They were by the bar, and Zoe took a brief look of Wade's face scared but still amused. Of course, whatever was happenning, that was bringing customers to the bar, and that meant that he would be making a lot of money that night.

Zoe and Joel sat in a table and looked at their Menu. "This is crazy," Joel said, looking around, covering his ears because of the noise "Look how many people are here. Important today, maybe?"

"No," Zoe shook her head "I would know. But this is odd, I never seen so much people here at the same time."

From the crowd, Wade appeared by their table, laughing about something. "Hey again," Wade said "What can I get ya?"

"Before that," Joel said "What's happening here?" Wade looked over his shoulder and laughed again. 'Obviously something really amusing' Zoe rolled her eyes.

"See for yourself, pal," and Wade pointed to something behind his back. Zoe looked carefully and she saw, between the crowd, a big poster where she could read 'Wade and Vivian - Yes or No?'.

"Is that a..." Zoe whispered in disbelief.

"Yes, something like Dash once did for the two of you." he laughed again.

"And you think that's funny?" Zoe asked, looking at Wade in the eyes, for the first time in that day.

"Yes, why would I be mad? It's funny to see. And besides people are buying me things, so, more money for me!" Wade laughed again and Zoe rolled her eyes. With that, she saw Vivian sitting in a corner of the restaurant, looking at crowd. She was smiling, amused with that too. 'What a pair of clowns' Zoe thought.

Zoe ordered her meal and Joel did that too, and Zoe kept looking at the crowd. Once Wade was behind the counter again, Zoe raised from her seat "I'll be right back Joel, stay here" Zoe started to walk towards the counter before Joel could say something. She grabbed a paper and a pen. She looked at it "Wade and Vivian are dating. The new surprising couple in Bluebell, is an yes or a no for you?" Zoe couldn't find that more ridiculous than it already was. She squeezed the pen in her hand as she looked at the paper. Then she wrote a big "No" in the whole paper. Zoe folded the paper several times and put it on a little box in front of the poster.

She returned to the table where Joel was waiting in their food in front of him "Hey babe, where did you go?"

"Vote," Zoe said, in a soft voice.

"Oh yeah? And what did you voted?"

"I voted yes," Zoe lied. She was getting better at lying, every passing day. So that was no hard job to her "I think they are cute together, really," Zoe shrugged and Joel nodded. She said that, but Zoe knew that there was no way in hell Wade and Vivian were getting in a true relationship like she once had with Wade... like she thought she was having with Joel.


	2. Chapter 2 - Ending with a beginning

**A/N: **Thank you so much for all your reviews. It means a lot. And let me remind you that this story is Wade and Zoe, not Wade and Vivian so you don't have nothing to worry about.

* * *

**Chapter Two - Ending with a beginning**

Wade scratched the back of his neck, nervously, avoiding her look.

They have been seeing each other almost every weekend, and Wade could still feel nerves in his belly. Vivian was sitting by his side, gazing at the lights in Town's Square. They had run out of subject and Wade was starting to feel anxious. He had never been on a date like that one, he didn't know what to do when the conversation ends. Maybe, they already talked about everything, but there was nothing good about that. That meant that this thing would never work out and for the first time since Zoe Hart appeared, Wade wanted something for him to work out nicely. Vivian was his hope.

Wade pitched forward in his seat to see Vivian's face better. She was with a smile in her face, still looking at the lights "I do like this town, you know" she said, in a low voice "It's quiet at night, and it's beautiful. Peaceful,"

"At least at night," Wade said and Vivian cought out a nervous laugh "Because in the daylight, I swear to God, this town goes crazy."

Vivian laughed again and for a brief moment she studied Wade, while he looked around. She could still remember the little boy that she knew in school. The way he used to play with his friends, and the way he was with the girls. 'He didn't change' she thought, smirking. His blonde hair was still the same, the mesmerizing eyes were still there. He was still the Wade she used to know. Well, at least until his mother passed away. She could still remember the day when she went to school and she didn't see Wade Kinsella there; when she knew he dropped out of school.

"I need to tell you something," Vivian broke the silence, analyzing her hands with her head down "But you need to promise me you are not going to make fun out of me."

Wade pinched his eyebrows, looking back at her. She was blushing "What is it?" he asked.

"Just promise me," she smiled. Wade laughed, but nodded. She looked away, feeling her ears burning "I have a crush on you since kindergarden," she said, laughing. Wade didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do, he just smiled.

"You have?" he repeated her words "So, you still have a crush on me?" Vivian looked down, but Wade could still see her cheeks getting red. He shook his head slowly, liking where the conversation was leading to. He laughed again.

"You promised you wouldn't make fun of me," her lips trembled in an insecure smile. She wanted to smile but she was trying to look serious. But... it was Wade.

"I'm not," he raised his hands in a defensive way "I'm just surprised that, after all this time, you still have a crush on me."

"I didn't say that I still have a crush on you," she pointed a finger at him.

"Yes you did. You said 'I have a crush on you since kindergarden'." Wade smiled at her.

"I can see that you are very amused with this conversation," she crossed her arms against her chest, and raised from her seat.

"I'm sorry," Wade tried not to laugh at her reaction.

"Well, I told you something about myself. Now it's time for you to tell me something about you," she said, with her head held high. Wade was now standing before her, with his hands on his pockets.

"Alright, ask me anything you want." Wade shrugged. He studied her, while she was thinking. He had to admit, Vivian was a pretty woman. She had cute red hair, and pretty green eyes. Somehow, she reminded himself of Lemon, for the way she acted and dressed. But at the same time, she had nothing to do with her; she was fun to hang out with, and Lemon would annoy Wade in a matter of seconds if they ever went on a date.

"How many girlfriends did you have?" she asked. Wade felt like he just had swallowed a big, fat stone. His mind flew right away to Zoe Hart. That woman, who could still mess around with his head. Probably the only woman that he truly loved. Wade shook his head slowly. He had to move on, he had to forget that she existed and try to be happy without her. There was no way he could be happy with a unstable person.

"Uh... Not many," he said. That was no lie. She asked how many girlfriends he had, not how many women he had sleep with "I got married once, but I was drunk. So, I guess that really doesn't count. Maybe one or two."

"Really?" Vivian looked surprised "Wow. So I guess that what people say isn't really true." Wade didn't say nothing. He waited to see if she was going to say something, explain herself. But she didn't.

"What have you heard?" he asked.

"That you are the town _heartbreaker_," she said, with a playful voice. Wade sighed with relief. 'That would have gone badly if she found out that I dated her cousin'

"Oh... that," Wade smiled and scratched his neck "Well, that's a whole different story. I do break women hearts, but not... in that way,"

"Then in what way?" she said, taking a step close to him. Wade look at his feet for a brief moment before gazing at her eyes again.

"I... Let's just say that I am known as the guy who sleeps with a different woman almost every night." he knew that she could slap him at every minute; scream stuff like 'Then I'm just another one?' and storm off, leaving him behind "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to take the wrong impression-"

"No, no," she whispered, getting more close to him. Their faces were separated only by a thin line of air "I didn't. I don't care about that,"

She was about to kiss him. She touched his arm and he that something was not right but he couldn't figure out what. Just one more move and they would kiss. Vivian shook her head and pulls back.

"Alright, I think I'm gonna go now," she says, not looking at Wade. He narrows his eyebrows.

"Vivian... are you... is everything alright?" he asked. He knew that it was a mistake to tell her that he slept with a lot of women.

"Yes! Everything's fine. I just need to go... you know, Harley's waiting for me." Vivian nodded "I just need to go."

"I'm sorry if I did something wrong... whatever would that be," Wade shrugs. That is no surprise for him. He always finds a way to screw up things. But this time he had no idea what he did wrong.

"No... Wade, listen, I'm fine. It's just... Look, I really enjoy spending time with you. And I enjoyed this night so much. But I don't wanna force anything, specially knowing that you are a hearbreaker," so that was the problem. Of course, Wade should've known "I said with was no problem to me, and it isn't. I just want to take it slow, alright? I got hurt once, I don't want to get hurt again. Not by you."

Wade looked at her, confused. What did she mean with "not by you"? He didn't ask anything, he just smiled at her "Have a great night, Vivian,"

"Goodbye Wade," she said, waving at him.

* * *

_**Zoe walked over him, smiling "Wade! I'm in the best mood. So, my uncle came into the office today. He had a squirrel bite, but that's beside..." Few seconds later, her lips were glued to his. She felt butterflies in her stomach, but a huge pain in her chest; like someone was stabbing a knife in her chest, pushing it deeper and deeper; for a brief moment, she couldn't breath. When Wade stopped kissing her, the first that came into her mind was Joel.**_

_**"Stop, I don't want to hear excuses. I just want you to promise that it will never, ever happen again. I'm with Joel. I am happy with Joel" she was now standing by Wade's bed, gazing at him but the pain in her chest wasn't gone. She said she was happy with Joel like she was trying to convince herself of that, not Wade.**_

"Zoe?" she heard someone calling her. Then she opened her eyes and she realized that she had fell asleep, while reading a book. Joel was looking at her, with a kind smile craved on his lips "Hey babe. I was starting to think that you were in coma," he laughed gently.

Zoe looked around, confused. She was dreaming about that day. She shook her head "What time is it?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"5 p.m. I didn't realize you fell asleep, I was so distracted writting my book that I..." Joel stopped and looked at her face for a while "Are you hearing me? Are you feeling alright?"

She nodded and Joel smiled again. She saw he moving his mouth, talking to her, but she couldn't listen; even if she wanted to, she wasn't listening anything. Her mind was place in that stupid memory of Wade kissing her in the hay maze. He wasn't himself in that moment, he was on medication. She couldn't rely on something that wasn't true and mostly, she couldn't rely on a memory of their kiss when she was in love with Joel.

"I'm sorry Joel," she said, getting up "I need to... I'm gonna go see Lavon. I need to talk with him."

"Oh okay," he got up too "I will go with you."

"No!" she yelled but then she covered her mouth with her hands "I mean, no, there's no need. Trust me, I'll be right back."

She left their room and walked fastly towards Lavon's house. What could be better than talk with her bestfriend? She knocked on the door and waited for someone to reply, maybe for the first time since her stay in Bluebell. No one answered so she opened the door. Zoe saw AnnaBeth walking towards the door, ready to open it "Oh, Zoe!" she said, smiling "How are you?"

"Fine," she nodded "Is... is Lavon here? I need to talk with him."

"No, sorry. Lavon needed to go deal with some business. But can I help you?" AnnaBeth asked and Zoe gazed her for a while. 'Oh, what the hell...'

"Yes. I need to talk with someone, urgently. I feel like my head is going to explode," Zoe said, sitting by the counter.

"Oh... so, tell me. What's wrong?"

"I need you to promise me that you won't judge me. Just... I just need some help, some advice," AnnaBeth nodded and Zoe let out a long breath "I'm having serious problems about Joel... and our relationship. I'm not sure if I love him anymore, because... someone else is in my head. And I don't know how to stop it, and I need to do it. I really need to."

"Why?" AnnaBeth said "If you think about that other guy that much, maybe you should break up with Joel" she took a pause "I'm not saying you should, but then you would just be fooling yourself-"

"I know, you're right. I need to forget that... other guy" Zoe's face grew vague. Once more, her head was a mess. And, again, because of Wade. Wade was always the center of her problems. 'You just need to forget him' a little voice said in her head. Zoe got up and walked towards the kitchen door "See you later, AnnaBeth. And thanks."

AnnaBeth smiled and said "You're welcome. And you'll see, you will end up by forgetting Wade," Zoe paralyzed "I'm not dumb Zoe. It's very clear,"

"Is it that clear?" Zoe swallowed tightly.

"For Joel maybe not. But for me is."

* * *

Zoe was decided to go talk with Wade, but she needed a new excuse to get out of their room. Joel was constantly writting, but he would see her getting out of the room. She needed to talk with Wade, clear things out, say things to him that she really needed to; maybe because that way, it would be easier for her to believe that she was truly happy with Joel, after all.

She opened her mouth several times, but no sound would come out of it. 'Gain the guts, Zoe. Come on' she said to herself. She got up of the bed and touch him on the shoulder "Babe, I need to go do something. It's not going to take long, I promise," Zoe said, in a low voice. Joel turned to her and studied her.

"Where are you going at this time of the night?" Joel asked, getting up "It's dark outside and... _it's dark_."

"Babe, there's no reason for you to worry. Bluebell doesn't have rapists and all of that stuff. And people are still on the streets, there's nothing for you to be afraid of." she said, with a smile, trying to calm Joel down.

"Alright... you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Joel asked, grabbing her arms gently. Zoe closed her eyes for a minute, taking a deep breath at his touch. Something about it was making her feel... confused.

"I'm sure. I'll be right back," she poured a kiss on his cheek and left the room. She was really going to do this. She was really going to confront Wade, tell him everything she had been holding on to herself. If she was really going to live with Joel there, she needed to put her past beyond her back and try to live a happy life with her boyfriend, without thinking of Wade on the way that she had been thinking lately.

When she knocked on his door, a million memorys passed in her head. The night where the heat took a hold of her body and she found herself by his door, with a huge desire of kissing him. Then, there was that one night where she said she was sorry for almost kissing George, and that she would try to forget him. Then, the most importat night for her: when she asked him for being his real boyfriend. She tried to change for him, because she really loved him. But Wade, somehow,found a way to broke her heart that night of the Battle of the Bands.

The way he always looked at her, made Zoe's heart race; that look on his eyes... there was no way she could ever replace that. She took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves down, but there was something about her standing at his door that was making her loose her balance. She could feel her heart beating with strenght against her chest, thinking how Wade would react seeing her there.

Suddenly, Wade opens the door, on his usual white shirt and he had that look on his eyes "Hello doc," he said, with a smirk marked on his lips "I thought you wouldn't end up by my door ever again. I guess I was wrong," he said in a playfull tone.

"We _need_ to talk." that was the only thing she said, but yet the look on her eyes was the thing that made Wade look serious. He knew something was wrong, something bad was about to happen. He could feel it in his chest.

She took a step back on his porch, and Wade closed the door slowly. There was a moment of silence where none of them broke the silence. Wade was waiting for Zoe to say something, since she was the one that said they needed to talk, but she kept opening her mouth several times, closing it again few seconds later.

"This is a hard thing for me to do, I'm not quite sure why," she crossed her arms against her chest and looked down, not looking at him because if she looked at him, she knew she would feel weak "Throughout this week, I've been thinking a lot about you. Don't ask me why, and don't even try to make jokes about it because this is serious. Really. I can't deny it, Wade, I miss you. I do. But I do love Joel and I want to be with him, he's the right guy for me; the guy that I always said I would end up with."

Wade could feel his heart beating fast, almost jumping out of his chest.

A thin tear started to roll down her cheek, "Since I set foot in this town, you were the only guy that was there for me the entire time. And maybe, I was in love with you since day one, I just didn't want to admit it because you are not the type of guy that I thought I would end up with. But, when finally I felt like something was going fine for me, you found a way to break my heart. You broke me. And I- I_ loved_ you," her voice started to tremble and so she took another deep breath, trying to not show her weak side in front of him.

"So, I'm here to say this is really over. I'm here for me too, because I need to convince myself that you and I... are not meant to be, and I'm trying to realize that I need to pay more attention to Joel, because he is the perfect man for me. And I already know that you have moved on with Vivian. _My cousin_," Zoe let out a low laugh "and I really hope you end up together and happy. Even though I voted _"no"_ on that thing in the bar. So, this is it. I finally said it."

She let out a final breath, with relief. She finally said it all to him and she felt like she had dropped a huge weight out of her chest. Zoe looked at Wade finally, but she couldn't see any emotion; she saw no smile, no sign that he would start laughing at her and make jokes about all that drama. It was only when he opened his mouth, that she realized that it was no big drama of hers.

"You think you can come here, knock on my door at anytime you want and say these things to me like I don't... like I don't feel the same? What am I now, am I the bad guy?" Wade raised his voice "No, Zoe. I'm tired of your sick little dramas, I always end up like I'm the one who does everything wrong. You are no princess Zoe, this is not a fairytale, there is no prince. Joel is not your prince. This is real life, and you need to wake up."

"I'm not saying you are the bad guy Wade, there's not my-"

"You weren't saying, but you were _meaning_ it. I'm tired Zoe. Just when I was starting to move on with my life, you appear and make me remember that I really love you and that I can't get over you, no matter how many girls I bring home everynight. No matter how many lips I kiss, _**I will always end up missing yours**_..." Wade said that last word in a low voice that Zoe almost couldn't hear.

"I still love you, Wade." she whispered. He looked up to her and she saw those big brown eyes gazing at him "That's why I'm here. But I'm sorry, I'm with Joel know and...-"

"He's the right guy. I already know it, Zoe, you don't have to tell me again." Wade muttered "Go home." She froze. He was telling her to go home. He was hurt... she hurted him. She felt like crying. She hurted Wade, the guy that have been hurted so many times in life.

"I'm such a selfish person..." Zoe shook her head slowly, looking at her hands. Wade didn't say nothing but for the corner of her eye she saw that he opened the door.

When she blinked again, she was holding his wrist. She gazed at her hand, holding him for a while. His skin was so warm, she loved that about him. Then, she raised her head and she saw Wade looking at his feet. Zoe took a step foward so she could be standing face to face with him. 'Just one last kiss' she said to herself. Her lips were calling for him, and so was her heart.

"I still love you," she repeated and closed her eyes, feeling a tear rolling down her cheek. That's when she feels his hands in her waist, and his body against hers. She touched his chest and went up to his neck. And then, it all made sense. Their lips touched in a passionate kiss, a thing that she missed. This was right. She felt she belonged there, close to him, she felt like he was her safe heaven. A set of feelings ran through her body, making her blood boil, feeling him under her arms.

"You need to go," Wade whispered, against her lips, breahtless. She rested her forhead in his for a while, with her eyes closed. Then, she opened her eyes and nodded. It was time to go back to the reality, where there was no such thing as happy endings. If there was, she was going to stay with him for this night. And she wasn't.


	3. Chapter 3 - Please, Don't Leave Me

**A/N:** Thank you all for the support. I can see that some of you are upset about the whole Wade/Vivian thing, but you don't have to. This is a Zoe/Wade story, so it's obvious that Vivian and Wade are not going to end up together. But I appreaciate every review and follow, it means a lot. This chapter it's a bit short, but I hope you like it.

* * *

**Chapter Three - Please, Don't Leave Me**

Wade let his body fall above his couch, lost in his thoughts. Zoe left a while ago, but he still couldn't get over what happened there. The kiss they shared. 'Maybe she doesn't need to end up with Joel. _Maybe... maybe we can figure things out'_ Wade tries to convince himself, but deep down he knows there is nothing left to do. They are doomed to be apart, no matter the effort they make.

Zoe's high heels cliked against the floor while she walked fiercely to Wade's house. She woke up all by herself, thinking that Joel would be right beside her. She called for him a few times, but there was no sign of Joel. The only thing that came to her mind was that he could be in Wade's house and nothing could make her angrier. Once she was at Wade's door, she knocked on it one, two, three times calling for Joel.

"Joel!" she called, knocking on the door "I know you are in there, c-"

Sounds of laughter interrupted her and she narrowed her eyebrows. She opened the door of Wade's house but there was no one in there. So, the only option was Lavon's house.

When she entered on Lavon's kitchen, she saw everyone there. Joel, AnnaBeth, Lavon... and Wade. They were all laughing, happily drinking coffee while she was at her home, sleeping alone. Nothing could make her more upset.

"Good morning Zoe," AnnaBeth said, giving her a nervous smile and coughing. Zoe narrowed her eyes looking at the four people before her. She placed her hands on her hips, walking slowly towards them.

"Well, well, well... I didn't know that there was going to be a breakfast party here, today" Zoe said, watching Wade grinning behind his hand "Why are you laughing,_ asshole_?"

"I didn't know there was such thing as a _breakfast party_, doc" Wade said, laughing even harder at her expression. He hadn't forgot what happened two nights ago, but he had to pretend that he already have. So, making fun of Zoe was the best way of proving her that he didn't like her anymore "But yeah, we are having one."

"Yeah, and apparently I'm not invited!" Zoe said, slamming her foot on the floor "What the hell, Joel? I woke up all by myself. What if someone was there, robbing our house?"

"Zoe, sweetie, I don't believe that someone is going to rob you... in _daylight_" Joel said, with a smile spiked on his lips "Here, have some coffee"

"I don't want any coffee from you!" Zoe said, turning her back on them "I'm going to take breakfast somewhere else!"

"Hey, big Z!" Lavon said, approaching her "Stay here. You have free food here"

Zoe narrowed her eyes at Lavon and walked away from his kitchen. Honestly, she had no idea where she was going to go, but she kept walking until she was at _Town's Square_. She didn't know why she was so mad at Joel living her alone at their house, but she was. Tomorrow was her big day, supposedly, and Zoe wasn't feeling so big. She felt like everything, but she wasn't feeling not even a little big special. Her life was at the lowest point right now, and the only thing that would make her feel better was fly to New York.

Thinking of spending her birthday with her mother was not such a... delightful thing, but as much Zoe hated to admit, she kind of missed her mother. Living for New York was always Zoe's solution for everything, but she couldn't care less.

She walked in Rammer Jammer, where she, fortunately, only found Wanda at the counter.

"Good morning Zoe, what can I get you?" Wanda asked.

"Coffee to go, please" Zoe said, trying to look happy. She studied the familiar surroundings only to find a bunch of people staring at her. This is weird, she thought. The last time people had been so focused on her, studying her so carefully was when she stepped foot in Bluebell. She shrugged when Dash refused to make eye contact with her and turned around to accept her order, before leaving the Rammer Jammer.

Once she reached the Town's square, Zoe took her phone out of her bag and looked at the screen. She, reluctantly, dialed her mother's number on the phone and then pressed the call button. At the third beep, her mother's voice emerged from the other side of the line.

"_Hello?_" she heard her mother's voice and she, suddenly, felt like she was back in New York all over again. Zoe and Candice had had a lot of ups and downs. Her mother constantly judged her about her love life or just her social life and that was something that Zoe hated a lot. She lied about who was Zoe's biological father and that was the one thing that hurt Zoe the most. But Candice was her mother and Zoe loved her anyway so she couldn't help but feel happiness was over her when she heard her.

"Hey mom," she said, her voice shaking "How's everything?"

"_Oh Zoe, sweetie. Everything's fine! And you?_"

"Yeah, everything's alright," Zoe coughed in an attempt to clear her throat "I was thinking about spending my birthday in New York. I'm going to buy my the ticket now... just so you know."

"_Oh Zoe, darling, that's great!_" Her mother's voice was in a happy tone what made Zoe feel good. "_Is Joel coming?_"

"I don't know yet, I was hoping that I could take some days out of Bluebell... You know, just spend my birthday with my mother." Zoe smiled nervously looking at the ground. She didn't know how Joel would react knowing that she was planning on spending her birthday in New York with her mother... without him. But that was something that she needed to do, she needed sometime apart to figure some things out. To clear her head.

"_Alright Zoe. Call me before you get on the plane, sweetie. See you soon_."

"Bye mom, see you tomorrow." Her mother hung up but Zoe was still with the phone on her ear. New York.

* * *

Wade entered on the Rammer Jammer later that day. Him, Joel, AnnaBeth and Lavon spent the whole day preparing a surprise birthday party for Zoe. Not that he cared, but he felt happy about doing it. Maybe by doing that, they could finally be friends and stop fighting. More like, they should stop fighting for everything because the last time they did, they kissed and it couldn't happen again.

The hours pass slowly, more people coming in each minute, which meant that Wade didn't stop working not even for a bit to rest. "Hey Wade, can you take the trash out?" Wanda yelled from the kitchen. "It's kinda smelly here!"

"Sure" he said, rolling his eyes. It was funny how he was the one that took care of everything when it comes to dirty things in the Rammer Jammer. He turned around to leave with the garbage bag when his shoulder hit someone. When he raised his eyes, he saw Zoe in front of him, on her knees picking her things up "Sorry, I didn't see where I was going," he said, getting down to help her catching her things.

"That's alright." Her voice was different than the one she used that morning. She sounded... happy. Wade paralyzed when his eyes captured a ticket on the ground. He grabbed it but Zoe took it from his hands. Their eyes met and Zoe could see the angry look on Wade's eyes.

"Wanda, can you cover for me for one sec?" Wade said, in a shaky voice. He felt his hands shaking, his whole body shaking.

"Sure Wade, but hurry up! We are kinda loaded here!" Wanda yelled at him, placing an order in a table. Wade grabbed Zoe's hand, taking her outside.

He looked around, there was no one there. Wade took a moment to look at the sky, trying to take it all in. She had a ticket, she was leaving to New York again. The last time, he confessed his feelings to her; he said he loved her, and Zoe simply left him for five excruciating months, where he felt everything but happiness. In those five months, Wade went from the town's heartbreaker to the guy who never took a girl home, hoping that the only girl that he wanted returned.

"You are leaving _me_ again?" he muttered with his hands on his hips, looking at her right in the eyes. First, he saw confusion on her face. "I saw the ticket Zoe, don't try to deny it. After all we've been through, you're doing it again. You're leaving _me_ again."

"Wade-" she muttered, shaking her head with a smirk on her lips. Zoe couldn't help admitting that she liked how he said that, in that frontal way. She felt her heart, slowly, fill with joy... and that was wrong because she had Joel. "I'm not leaving _y_-... anyone."

"Then how do you explain that ticket, Zoe?!" his voice raised a bit, making her jump slightly on her place.

"I'm only spending my birthday in New York." She sighed, smiling at him. A honest smile. He made her smile so easily, it was unbelievable "I'm coming back, Wade. Like, two days later, not five months."

"Oh-" Wade breathed. He didn't notice that he was holding his breath for so long. Suddenly he felt fine, he felt relieved. Zoe wasn't going to leave him again "Okay..." he stretched his back and turned around, ignoring her when she called his name a few times. He had made a completely fool of himself. He felt relieved that he didn't say those words when he was inside of the Rammer Jammer, or he would be completely embarrassed.

People were constantly passing by the counter, ordering their drinks for what seemed like the second time, because Wade didn't hear them at the first; his mind was still set on Zoe, the ticket, and his words. And... her surprise birthday party, "Shit!" he muttered, punching the counter. The Rammer Jammer wasn't full anymore. Wade pat on Wanda's shoulder "I need you to cover up for me, 'lright?" he said, in a hurry.

"Again?" Wanda sighed, rolling her eyes, with her hands on her hips "Seriously Wade Kinsella! No one needs your help that much. What kind of business are you taking care now?"

"I-I... Just cover up for me okay?" Wade pat her on the shoulder again "I think that this is going to take a while"

He left the Rammer Jammer pretending not to hear Wanda calling for him.

* * *

After Wade left the Rammer Jammer, he stopped on the way to his house so he could calm his nerves down. Wade Kinsella never loved anyone; he never truly care for anybody, except for his mother and, even unwilling to admit, for Crazy Earl. And the first time he fell for a girl, he fell for Zoe Hart - the girl who was always unhappy with everything, always annoying him and being bossy. _He couldn't have chosen a better girl to fall in love with_.

He knew that he did no right when he cheated on her, but he was at his lowest point that day. There was nothing that Wade regreted more than cheating on Zoe... mainly when he saw her crying in front of him. But he was sorry about that and he tried to make up for it, saying that he loved her. And yet, she flew to New York and came back five months later with a guy.

Wade Kinsella doesn't cry. But Zoe Hart made him cry.

He shook his head and tried to be rational. Now he was trying to move on, taking Vivian on dates... trying to forget about what he felt for her. What he still feels, no matter how hard he denies it. She still had a hold of his heart.

Wade walked to Lavon's house where he knew that he would find Joel. And he did. Joel was sitting by the counter with his laptop in front of him, but he wasn't paying any attention to it. Instead of that, he was having a discussion with Lavon about his book. Shocker.

"_You!_" Wade hissed, poiting a finger to Joel "You knew and still you didn't tell us!" Wade grabbed Joel by his shirt collar.

"Hey... hey man!" Joel tried to push Wade away but he was ten times stronger than he was "Knew what?"

"You knew that Zoe was going to New York on her birthday but still you didn't tell us nothing" he hissed, pulling his hand back, preparing himself to give Joel a really sood southern punch.

"_W-what_?!" Joel stammered, narrowing his eyes "I-I I didn't know... I swear."

Lavon grabbed Wade by his arms, but Wade had already walked away from Joel. Great... now he made a fool of himself two days in one day "You... you didn't?" he asked, breathless.

"No man" Joel shook his head "I can't believe..."

"How do you know that she is going to New York on her birthday?" Lavon muttered to Wade, while Joel kept making questions to himself.

"I... bumped into her and I saw the ticket," Wade scratched his head "Then I made a total fool of myself but... that doesn't matter" Wade shook his head and tried to not look Lavon on the eyes.

"Lavon Hayes thinks he knows what you are talking about." Lavon pat on Wade's shoulder "But Geez, you have to control yourself."

Lavon opened his eyes wide and turned around to Joel to say him something that Wade didn't hear. What an asshole he was being "Look Joel, I'm sorry alright?" Wade said, giving a pat on his shoulder "I just thought you knew, and we were having all this work with her surprise birthday for nothing"

"It's alright" Joel nodded "I'm gonna talk to her now, tell her to stay"

"No, no!" Lavon shook his head and crossed his arms "If I really do know Zoe, I know that she doesn't like to be told what to do. That's an awful idea,"

The three guys stood quiet for a minute, trying to come up with some ideas of how they could stop Zoe from going to New York "We can kidnap her!" Joel said, obviously enthusiastic about the idea.

"No, no! We can't do that!" Lavon said, waving his hands in disapproval "We are not kidnapping Zoe!"

"Wait... wait... that's not such a bad idea as you may think" Wade said, narrowing his eyes "A hour before the party we go get her at her house. I think I saw that the flight was at eight o'clock. The party is at six p.m., so we have some time to go pick her at her house and bring her here. Easy!"

Lavon laughed "I thought you knew Zoe well enough to know that she's isn't going to want come with us, when she is about to go to the airport"

"That's when Joel's idea appears." Wade grinned.

* * *

There she was again. This time she was perfectly confident of herself and of what she was about to do.

Zoe climbed the stairs to Wade's porch and before she knocked on the door, she gazed at the sky. She was not telling to herself to not lose her head because she had not intention of doing that - she was just trying to feel strong, to gain courage to knock on his door and talk to him like two normal human beings do.

What Wade said to her earlier that day was the reason she was there. Zoe realized the pain that she made him go through when she went to New York for five months. That made her mind race for the entire day. She felt guilty and Zoe thought that it was the right time to spend quality time with Wade, like friends.

Before she had the idea of turning around, Zoe knocked on Wade's door and waited patiently for him to open it. She turned around sometimes, while she waited, ready to go home but a little voice in her head kept saying "_If you don't do this, you will never get over the fights with Wade_". So, she gathered all her strenghts and stood still by his door, with her head held high with a smile on her lips ready for Wade to open the door.

Of course that when he opened the door, she didn't get the welcoming smile of Wade. Instead of that, she got a sigh and a roll of eyes from him "Hello my_ dear_ friend!" Zoe said, with a huge smile on her face. But still no good reaction from Wade "What's up?"

"What are you doing here, _doc_?" he said, putting his hands on his waist "Is this something that is going to happen everynight? You coming to my house? Or are you just doing your job, trying to see if I have some fatal disease?" Wade looked for a bit of rage on Zoe's face, just a little bit, but he found nothing.

"Oh Wade! You are so funny" Zoe laughed and gave him a pat on his naked chest. Bad idea, she thought in the exact moment she did that "I'm here to talk... to be friends again. I'm tired of us fighting for everything-"

"I don't fight, I'm a peaceful person," Wade raised his hand when Zoe tried to talk "But I gotta admit, you push my button a lot and I just can't help it. It's that... you are just so annoying and_ bossy_ sometimes."

Wade was obviously trying to make her upset, and Zoe knew that. But she was there to show him that she could be a peaceful human being sometimes and that them being friends was all for the best - she could concentrate on treating Joel nicely again, because sometimes she just forgot that he was her boyfriend and that she should pay attention to what he says to her. So, she took a deep breath and smiled again.

"I know that I can really be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I'm here to make up for that. Here, I brought some video games and some bagels," Zoe raised the bag on her hand "I really want to be friends with you again, Wade."

"_Are you-_ are you saying that you have flaws too?" Wade pretended to be shocked and laughed when he saw her roll her eyes "Alright doc, come on in and let's play those games."

"They are my favourite games" she said, entering on Wade's house. She felt his scent right away, making her knees weak, but she didn't do nothing "They are really good"

"Is that so?" Wade crossed his arms and leaned his head on the door frame, after closing it. He watched Zoe getting on her knees by the tv, putting the game there.

"Yes!" she muttered, concentrated on what she was doing "My favourite is the one that I get to dress dolls,"

"Oh geez" Wade laughed and closed his eyes, shaking his head "Please tell me that you are not going to make me play a game where I have to dress dolls..."

Wade walked towards her grabbing her by her ankles, pulling her back "I'm not going to play that. Here, we're going to play one of my games" Wade put the game on the tv and sat on the couch, beside Zoe. She gave him a bagel and Wade grabbed it. Wade studied her expression when she grabbed the remote. It was nice being with Zoe without fighting over stupid things - mostly jealousy. But he didn't mind fighting with her over video games... because that was something that friends do.

Sometimes, he doesn't feel a thing - he can really be oblivious to feelings, not caring at all about how other people feel. **But Zoe surely makes him feel more than he should**.


	4. Chapter 4 - Birthday Girl

Hello! I'm back again, sorry it took so long, writer's block. So, surprisingly, this chapter has the same subject as the previous episode of Hart of Dixie: Zoe's birthday. I began writing this chapter a long while ago and I was like wow when I saw the exact same idea on that episode! Alright, never mind. I hope you guys like the chapter and thanks a lot for reviewing and putting my story on alert!

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Birthday Girl**

It was five o'clock of the afternoon. Zoe was in her bedroom packing her stuff to go catch the flight to New York. Obviously she was taking way too more clothes than she should because she was only going to be there for a couple of days - it's almost like you're prepared to run away, she thought what made her feel upset with herself.

Joel didn't look happy when he found out - by Wade, of course - that she was going to spend her birthday in New York, instead of spending it there with her boyfriend. "I just need some time alone with my mother" she said and he actually believed it.

The night before came to Zoe's mind. She felt actually happy by spending some quality time with Wade. The last time they did that was when they were a couple and since she broke up with him, whenever they talked to each other, they would end up fighting. So, when she got home last night, a big smile was on her lips because having Wade as a friend was better than not talking to him at all.

Zoe was about to grab her dryer when she heard a noise. She stopped by the bathroom but didn't hear anything. She shrugged her arms and returned to put her dryer on the bag, and that was when she heard a noise again. But this time, it was clearer: it was voices in the hall. She grabbed the dryer again and walked slowly to the door ,"And Joel said that no one was going to rob me in daylight" she snorted "Well, come say that now Joel!" she muttered, coming closer to the door.

"You do it! You are stronger" someone said, on the other side of the door. Obviously, whoever was outside of that door, was not an expert at robbing someone. You can do it Zoe, you can handle those guys. You are strong!

She opened the door with her eyes closed and yelled, trying to hit them with the dryer "Grab her!" a deep voice said.

"Let me go!" she yelled, trying to kick them but she was way too tiny. When she opened her eyes, there was something covering her head, what made Zoe scream even more.

"You gained a lot of weight since the last time I carried you, doc" Wade said in a teasing tone. So, it was Wade? What the hell was happening? Now Zoe was glad that she had something covering her face because the memories made her blush. Gladly, too, Joel was too naive to understand what Wade meant. Gladly.

"Alright, Joel I know you are here" she said slowly "Please tell Wade to let me go, I have a plane to catch!"

"I'm sorry babe but I can't... you are going with us." Joel said and she felt him grabbing her hand. Suddenly, Wade threw her towards something making her butt hurt.

"Careful you asshole!" she said, getting angry "Seriously, where am I? I'm not liking this anymore. I have a plane to catch and you guys are here playing... robbers or something-"

"Everything is going to be fine, Z. Don't stress out"

"Lavon?" she asked in disbelief. When she heard a motor starting to work, she realized that she was in a car. "I can't believe that you are letting this two idiots do this to me, Lavon!"

"I'm sorry Zoe, but Lavon Hayes can't let you go to New York on your birthday" he said. The car started moving so she shut up. Maybe if she pretended to be dead, they would drop her body somewhere so she could go back to her room and pack. But they kept talking during the trip and didn't notice that she was trying to pretend to be dead.

"Hey!" she yelled "Did you know that I can die because of this? Having a bag or whatever covering my head can hinder me breathing. I could be dead by now and you fools don't even notice!"

"Uh... man she is right" she heard Joel say and she smiled, seeing that her plan was going great "Maybe we should take this off her head-"

"No Joel! Don't do that!" Wade yelled "You crazy? She can't see where we are going!"

"Well if I don't take this out of her head, she will never see where we are going Wade!" Joel said and Zoe felt his hands on the bag.

"Don't do it Joel!" Wade and Lavon started yelling but there's no use, Zoe could see again.

"Idiots, stop the car!" she said, grabbing the steering wheel making the car spin a few times on the road.

"Stop it Zoe, you are going to get us all killed!" Wade yelled and Zoe sat back on her seat "Alright, you want us to stop the car? Fine!"

The car stopped and Zoe got off, walking fiercely. Then she stopped and she realized she was in the middle of a road with nothing but trees around her "Where are you going?" Joel asked, running after her.

"I don't have time for your stupid jokes, Joel. And why in hell did you agree to this? Don't you see that Wade doesn't think right sometimes?" Zoe said, angry with all of that "It's almost six p.m. and I'm not at the airport to catch my plane. Because of you three! Happy now?"

Zoe turned her back on them and started to think in one way to get out of there. She walked around the road, trying to find a way to get out of there but there was nothing but mud and trees... and she was wearing high heels! And her precious black dress?! She would never ruin it by walking in the mud. She sighed in desperation and grabbed her head with her hands.

Wade looked at her and it felt like something sharp pierced into his heart "Look I'm sorry alright?" Wade said, in front of her "It was all my idea but it's for a good cause... just trust us alright?"

"And why should I do that?" she said, crossing her arms prepared to give him a punch.

"Because you are going to lose your plane anyways, you are doomed to spend your birthday with us" he smirked, teasing her. Zoe fight the will that she suddenly had to smile and narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know there's a lot of planes to catch, right?"

"Just come with us, Z. Please" Lavon said, begging. She looked to the three mans in front of her, especially to her boyfriend. It had to be something good, right? Lavon was the most grown up man in this group, he would never do something that would upset her. She dropped her arms to each side of her body and sighed, gazing briefly to the sky.

"Alright" she said and she could hear their laughs right away "Do whatever you guys have to do"

"We are going to put you on the car again and we are going to cover your eyes... only your eyes this time, alright? We don't want your precious boyfriend having a panic attack thinking that you're dying or whatever" Wade said in a teasing tone. Zoe nodded her head and closed her eyes. She felt Wade's fingers touching her cheeks slightly and she felt something in her stomach that made her blood boil in her veins.

Once they made sure she couldn't see anything, they put her on the car and it started moving again. Through the entire trip she didn't open her mouth, not even once. They were talking around her but she wasn't listening to it. The only thing that ran into her mind was the fact that her plans on spending her birthday at New York were all ruined. She felt sad. She needed the atmosphere that only New York could give to her. But now Zoe was in a car, going to somewhere she didn't know. Perfect.

"Finally, we are here" Joel said and the car stopped. Zoe sighed and got off the car with Joel's help.

"Alright doc, now you need to walk a bit and then you can get that thing from your eyes" Wade said and she started to walk. She heard them behind her and Joel by her side, hand to hand with her so she wouldn't fall in the middle of the way.

"I seriously hope that you aren't going to sell my organs to someone" Zoe said once she climbed a few steps.

"That would be a great idea, but maybe some other day alright?" Wade said. Someone grabbed her shoulder and by the texture of it she knew right away it was Wade "You can open your eyes now."

Zoe opened her eyes and a crowd of people appeared right in front of her "Happy birthday!" they yelled with smiles on their faces, clapping their hands, happy to see her. Her jaw drop and she covered her mouth with her hands. She looked at Joel, that was also clapping, and to Lavon and Wade next.

She couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing, but Zoe felt glad that she wasn't in New York.

* * *

"I'm glad you are liking your party" Wanda said, taking a strand of her red hair from her eyes. She hugged Zoe for a second and then walked away. Zoe looked around the room full of people happily talking and smiling. Zoe couldn't be more happy. If you had ask her two years ago if she would like to spend her birthday with people of Bluebell, she would have laugh in your face and yelled at you a big no!. But now, there she was; looking at everyone in there, smiling, feeling loved.

"_Zoe Hart!_" she heard the familiar voice of Dash behind her. She turned around to look at the man behind her, with a smile on his face, adjusting his hat on his head. He cleared his throat and he grabbed his recorder in front of his mouth "It's now pretty obvious that the town of Bluebell looks at you like you have been living here since you were born. How do you feel?"

Zoe sighed and laughed "I feel wonderful, Dash" she said. Normally, she would get really pissed off at him for walking around her with that recorder prepared to record something priceless. But this was her birthday and she felt like being nice to people; usually, she was a big pain in the ass, always doing something wrong around here.

"We already have a Golden boy in this town, do you ever thought that you could be the _Golden girl_, if we had one?"

This question hit her like a kid just threw a ball at her. Zoe? Being the Golden girl? Her mind flew to the pale but pretty face of Lemon Breeland and she shivered "Oh, I never thought of that! That's totally out of my league. George done a lot for this town, but I don't do nothing special. I just-"

"You are one of Town's beloved doctors. That's a huge thing, so I dare to say that maybe you could be the Golden girl." Dash laughed and Zoe chewed on her lip, faking a smile. The killer look on Lemon's eyes pierced through her mind and made Zoe shiver again "So, Zoe Hart, would you like to thank to anyone in special?"

"Of course" she said, clearing her throat "To my dearest boyfriend that planned this party for me"

Dash clicked on the red button on the recorder and narrowed his eyebrows at her "What are you saying?" he asked "It wasn't your boyfriend that planned this party for you! I can't believe that he took the credit for it-Oh! I always knew that the guy liked to get all the attention focused on him-"

"Hey, don't talk about Joel like that! He is a great guy and he doesn't like a lot of attention, I guess that you actually don't know him very well!" Zoe sighed with her hands on her waist "This town... if a new person sets foot in this town, you get all judgemental!"

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Zoe Hart, but... well, what you said upset me a bit too." Dash said, adjusting his jacket and clearing his throat "Very well, I'm sorry, but there's something in that table that is calling my attention. Excuse me, doctor Hart."

Dash disappeared and walked towards a table with shrimp. Zoe looked around the room and spoted Joel with a beer in his hands by the counter with Wade with him. She walked towards them and touched Joel slightly on his arm "I need to talk to you" she said.

"If this is about your present, don't worry. I'll give it to you soon" Joel smiled at her and drank a little bit of beer, just to make a disgusted face right away "Anyway, I'm sure you are going to like it."

"It's not about that," she said "You were the one that planned this entire party, right?"

Joel narrowed his eyebrows and shook his head "No honey, it wasn't me." Joel pointed to someone "It was Wade"

Zoe looked to the man on the other side of the counter, smiling at both of them "Wade?!" she muttered "I thought-"

"I'm sorry, but he was the one with the idea. Me and Lavon just helped him out," Joel shrugged. Zoe took the beer out of Joel's hands and took a sip "This whole thing was Wade's idea. You should go thank him."

"Yea, sure. I should... yes, I should go thank him" she muttered and glanced over to the guy who, apparently, planned the whole party for her. For a moment, she felt happy thinking that it had been Joel's idea. It would be nice knowing that her boyfriend actually thought about doing something nice for her, but of course he didn't.

She was about to walk over to Wade when someone grabbed her arm "Zoe Hart!" Brick Breeland called her "I almost couldn't believe when Lavon told me that they were planning out a surprise birthday party for you."

"I'm surprised to see you here" she said, trying to not talk about... who planned the party for her. Somehow, it made her feel something weird on her stomach that she wasn't liking.

"Well, I had to come" Brick said and smiled at her. Weird, Brick being nice to her "I'm sure you think I don't like you not even a bit, but... well, seeing everyone being so nice to you made me think that maybe I should be nicer to you too."

"Sure" she rolled her eyes as soon as Brick laughed.

"Anyway, there's a gift from me and Lemon in that pile of presents" Brick said studying the glass in his hands "It's nothing special just... a little thing. Lemon made me give it to you, I'm not quite sure why"

"That's very nice of you, Brick" she said, narrowing her eyebrows. Lemon made Brick buy her a gift? Since when did Lemon grow sympathetic feelings towards her that made Brick buy a gift to her? As far as Zoe knew, Lemon always disliked her and so the thought of the blond wanting to offer something to the doctor, was weird. But she couldn't say nothing else but thank you.

"Alright, maybe we all should gather around here and make the birthday girl open her gifts, shall we?" AnnaBeth's voice cut through the noisy room and made everyone walk to the middle of the place. Zoe felt the heat rushing to her cheeks "Zoe come over here!"

Why her? She was turning twenty-nine and she had to open her gifts in front of everyone like she was five? That reminded her of her seventh birthday where her whole friends were around her watching Zoe opening the big present from her mother, that turned out to be a huge dollhouse.

Zoe walked to the middle of the room where AnnaBeth handed her the first gift "That's from me and Lavon" Zoe opened the small envelope where she found two tickets where she could read New York in it "We know that you didn't get to catch your flight tonight so that you could be here, so we thought it would be something nice to give to you"

Zoe's eyes glanced towards AnnaBeth "Thank you, thank you so much" she hugged the woman beside her and she turned to Lavon.

"There's something else," Lavon handed her a box wrapped with red paper "Lavon Hayes couldn't just give you two tickets."

She opened the box and her jaw drop open when she saw a blue and white jersey with her name on the back "Lavon... this is awesome!" she said with a smile craved on her lips "Thank you so much!"

From the crowd appeared a small woman with red hair falling gracefully on her shoulders "Now it's time for my gift!" Vivian said with a smile on her lips. She didn't know her cousin was there, how didn't anyone told her? Vivian handed her a box wrapped with golden paper where she could read Happy Birthday Zoe in a perfect caligraphy. Zoe opened it and she found another blue box that she knew right away what that was. Her favourite cookies from New York. _But how_...?

"Wade gave me the idea, he told me that these ones were your favourite cookies and it reminded you from New York" Vivian smiled at her and gave her a brief hug "It's nothing big but... I know you like it so,"

"T-thank you" Zoe stammered gazing at her cousin as she walked away. Now Wade was sharing things about herself with his... whatever Vivian was to him? She felt something in her stomach and like something sharp pierce through her heart. Zoe didn't know why, but she felt mad at Wade right away; not at her cousin, but at him. He ruined the idea that she had: that it had been Joel planning this whole party for her, and she was feeling mad because he was sharing things about her. Of course that her favourite cookies weren't something private, but still she felt mad at Wade.

For a couple of minutes people walked around her, handing her gifts. Most of them was food that the caring people of Bluebell were used to give away. I think I don't have to buy anything to eat for the next entire months, Zoe thought.

One of the things she liked the most was the gift from Brick and Lemon. Inside a little box was a picture of Harley and by it side was a beautiful golden pen, with a lot of letters below it. Brick said it was the letters that Harley asked x to keep sending until Zoe finally come to work on the practice. When Brick said that it was nothing special, Zoe thought that it would be another pie or whatever. But something from her dad was a big deal. She had tears in her eyes when she looked at the gift and the scent of the old picture surrounded her nose.

"Here baby, this is your gift" Joel grinned beside her with something wrapped with blue paper. Zoe smile instantly and put away the bracelet on its box to grab Joel's gift.

"I'm so excited to know what this is!" she said grabbing the gift on her hands, looking at it.

"Then open it!" Joel said with a proud smile on his lips. Zoe tore the paper apart, excited to know what was it that Joel bought to her. Her smile slowly disappeared from her lips as her eyes got used to the green gift in her hands. A book "What do you think? Like it?" a book with Joel's signature. It was his own book! She faked a smile and looked up.

"Y-yes. I liked it a lot" she lied. She didn't like it a bit. It was her birthday but it seemed like it was Joel's birthday. He was more excited than she was about the book. He grabbed the book.

"When I thought about it, I felt so proud" he said, gazing at the book nodding his head "You are always talking about how proud you are of me and how much you like my writing that I thought you would love this one"

Of course she was proud of him! Joel was her boyfriend, but what did he have in his mind when he actually thought that she would like that gift? There was a lot of things she would like to get: _a new pair of Christian Louboutin heels, she wanted to see a Victoria Secret fashion show_. There was a lot of things she wanted and a book from her boyfriend was not one of them.

"I'm really glad you liked it" Joel said and kissed her cheek. Then he disappeared on the crowd leaving her with that stupid book on her hands. Zoe felt like throw it to his face. What if she offered him a pair of high heels in his birthday? Maybe he would understand how she was feeling right now. She was feeling like her boyfriend couldn't do anything right.

Zoe grabbed a glass of wine from a table and walked over to the Lavon's kitchen door. She gazed the sky very carefully and then her eyes glanced over to the lake. Everything would be so much nicer if Joel understood her and knew what she needed "Hey doc" Wade appeared by her side. She found it a little bit ironic that he appeared there when she was thinking about that, but she did nothing. She just gazed at him with her eyes narrowed "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because I have a lot of questions for you," she said, folding one of her arms "Why did you plan out this entire party for me?"

Wade studied her expression carefully, "I thought it would be a good idea. Since Joel didn't come out with some idea to keep you stuck in here for your birthday, I needed to come out with one myself" Wade smirked and took a sip from his beer "I usually get all the job, you know. People need me"

"Sure" Zoe said with gritted teeth and a smirk on her lips "I have another question for you. Why did you tell Vivian about my favourite cookies?"

He looked at her for a while, trying to understand what she was really trying to say. He narrowed his eyebrows "I just-why? There's something bad about it?"

"No," Zoe shook her head and gazed at her glass of wine "I was just wondering why... you told your girlfriend about my favourite cookies so she could give it to me"

"I-... Well, first, she is not my girlfriend" Wade said, clearing his throat and looking around the room nervously "And she came to me and wanted to know my opinion on a gift for you. She knew that we are... two great friends and... well, that's it. It's not like I told her something private"

"Alright, alright. You don't need to get all nervous about the girlfriend thing," Zoe said. Deep down in her heart she felt relieved that Wade wasn't in a serious relationship wth her cousin. Yes, he could move on. But not with her cousin... not with Vivian. Not with someone she knew and that she could point flaws... or excuses "And thanks, it was great idea. Both the party and the cookies."

"You are welcome, doc" Wade smirked and took another sip from his beer. He scratched the back of his neck and looked nervously through the door "Here, I have something for you myself"

Zoe smiled seeing him putting his hand on his pocket. When he reached out his hand towards her, there was this little dark blue box on his hands "Wade... what's that?" she asked, excited.

"Open it" he said, handing it to her. She opened the little box carefully and gasped when she saw the pretty silver necklace standing there. There was only three silver letters in the middle of the necklace: doc, and it made her heart melt "Did you like it?" Wade asked, his voice shaking.

"Wade, I loved it" her mouth drop open, passing her fingers on the necklace. Wade grabbed the necklace and made her turn around. Zoe grabbed her hair and shivered when his fingers touched slightly her neck. She closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing. They broke up so much long ago but his touch could still make she feel weak "I have another question..." she said, turning around to look at him, with her fingers pressed on the letters of the necklace now in her neck.

"If you are going to ask me about the colour of my underwear-"

"No, Wade!" she rolled her eyes and laughed "Why... why did you let Joel give me such a bad gift?" She heard him laugh and looked at Wade as he took another sip of beer.

"The book, huh?" Wade bit his lip and gazed at her big brown eyes "I tried to make him offer another thing but he actually thought it would be a good idea. So I didn't say that it was an awful idea and that you were going to hate... you should see the happy expression the guys face-"

"Hey, don't need to be mean!" she slapped him slightly on the arm. Their conversation ended when AnnaBeth walked over to Zoe and grabbed her by one arm.

"Come on!" she said excited "It's time to cut the cake!" Zoe walked away from Wade while AnnaBeth made her walk to the middle of the room where she found an enormous cake. They light up the candles and everyone started to sing happy birthday to Zoe. She had never liked when people did that, she felt like a little kid. After the cake, people started to go home and in a blink of an eye the only people on the room was Zoe, AnnaBeth and Lavon, Joel, Wade and... Vivian.

"It was a great party" Joel said, sitting on the couch next to Zoe. Zoe pretended that she wasn't mad at him and gave him a small smile.

"You guys need to come over tomorrow and help me and AnnaBeth clean this up," Lavon said scratching the back his neck.

"Uh... We gotta go too" Wade appeared on the room with Vivian behind him "We will talk tomorrow, alright?"

Zoe gazed at Wade and to Vivian and she felt like something pierced her heart. The kind smile on Vivian's face made her stomach hurt and just looking to Wade made her feel... bad "Goodbye, Zoe" Vivian hugged her and gave her a little kiss on the cheek "Happy birthday again, the party was great"

"Thank you, but you just have to thank Wade here since he was the one that planned out this party" Zoe muttered, looking at Joel.

"Something tells me that you are mad at me," Joel narrowed his eyes "How come you being mad at me? What did I do wrong?"

"So... this is the perfect time to leave" Wade cleared his throat and his hand flew over to Vivian's shoulder. One more knife on Zoe's back "See ya doc" and with this, Wade and Vivian disappeared from the room but Zoe didn't take her eyes from the door. She couldn't deny it anymore or keep it to herself. When she was with Wade, everything was great. He made her feel great.

"Maybe we should go to?" Joel asked her bringing Zoe back from her thoughts. Back to reality.

* * *

Sorry if the end is a little bit boring but I didn't come up with anything else. Actually, I did. But I think that this chapter is already a lot bigger than the other ones. I hope you liked it!


	5. Chapter 5 - Back To Where We Started

**A/N:** I can't thank you guys enough for the reviews and putting my story on alerts. It means a lot and it's good to know that you guys are giving a chance to this story, even when Zoe and Wade are not together. Well... it this, I beg you: don't kill me when you guys read this chapter (I know you will but it's worth the try)!

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Back To Where We Started**

Zoe walked through the Town's Square, smiling politely at the people that waved and greeted her. It was weird seeing how nice Bluebell people could be when all the time she had been there, they didn't sympathize with Zoe Hart a lot. There have been better days than others but apparently, people of Bluebell needed to be invited to your birthday party so they would be nice to you after.

It had been two days since her birthday. She and Joel had a huge fight because of his present but it didn't last long. Joel could be a huge idiot, but he knew how to apologize and Zoe liked it a lot. But Joel had been acting weird the last few days and, apparently, she was now walking to Rammer Jammer to know why. He texted her saying that it was a big urgency and that it required a lunch. _Urgengy! At lunch!_

"Hello" Zoe greeted her boyfriend with a kiss on his cheek and a smile, sitting in front of him.

"Nice to see you" Joel said with his hands crossed above the table, with a stupid smile that told her that nothing good would be coming out from his mouth for the next minutes.

"So... what's the _urgency_?" Zoe asked, narrowing her eyebrows at him.

"Well, I don't know if you have realized, but I've been very busy lately" he said with a proud smile on his lips, like a little kid coming from school with a gold sticker "After a lot of work and effort-"

"Joel!" Zoe waved her hands on the air "Just say what this is about!"

"We're moving to the carriage house again!" he smiled and you could swear that he was about to clap his hands "Well, you are moving back again... I never lived there... but... you understand-"

"Really?" Zoe gasped and squeezed Joel's hand "Oh baby that's great!"

"It's just because I know I gave you a terrible gift... and I wanted to make up to you" Joel shrugged one shoulder "I thought this would be the best way"

"It is!" Zoe said, with a big smile on her lips "Thank you so much honey" she gave him a little kiss on the lips and returned to her seat to grab the Menu. That's when it hit her. Wade would be her neighbor again. Of course, they were friends now, but still Zoe couldn't look at Wade and Vivian without feeling a little bit jealous. And now she would have to see them everyday when opens her window.

"What can I get you?" his voice didn't exactly interrupt her thoughts because it almost looked like the voice was inside of her head... but it wouldn't match the scene of seeing Vivian and Wade in the porch and Zoe setting curses at them "Oh hey doc"

"Hey Wade" Zoe smiled.

"Nice necklace" Wade grinned and pointed to her neck where the necklace he gave to Zoe on her birthday was "Who gave you that?-"

"We all already know Wade" she rolled her eyes, interrupting him before he could say anything else that ended up like a compliment to himself. Like he always did.

"I... I don't know... Who gave you that?" Joel asked pointing to the necklace with his eyebrows narrowed.

"Honey, who is the only person on this world that calls me by _doc_?" Zoe smiled "It was Wade, on my birthday"

"It's... _pretty_" Joel said, clearing his throat. The couple ordered their meals and when Wade disappeared, Joel turned to Zoe again "Wade gave you that?"

"Yes Joel" Zoe narrowed her eyebrows "I already told you that." Zoe studied Joel's expression carefully "You aren't jealous, are you?" she smiled.

"Of course not!" Joel snorted "I gave you a house for your birthday. No one can beat that!"

"That's right" Zoe said but her thoughts were _'but you offered me one of your books first'_. It didn't take a fight with Wade for him to realize what he needed to buy her for her birthday.

"Oh make sure that you leave early from the practice" Joel said, biting his burguer when their food arrived "I have a surprise for you"

"Another one?!" Zoe's eyes opened wide "Isn't the house enough?"

"No, it's not" Joel said. He made a brief pause and then looked to her "I only want the best for you"

* * *

**Later That Day**

"I hate when he does this" Zoe muttered to herself between gritted teeths, returning to the Rammer Jammer hours later. Joel had left his laptop in there when they meet up from lunch. And since he was so busy doing whatever he was doing for her at the carriage house, he couldn't leave it and so Zoe had to do it.

When she entered on the Rammer Jammer, the place was filled with people. Most of the people there were man and they all were around the big flat TV where Zoe could see that was having a game of baseball. In New York, people would only gather around the TV to see a game of baseball if it was a important one - well, some people, not all. Zoe, on the contrary, liked seeing every baseball games she could. When Ethan Hart was still playing the father role properly, they would sit on their couch back at home on a Sunday afternoon watching the game while her mother cooked on the kitchen. It was her favourite thing in the world and now Zoe could think of so much stuff she liked more than that.

Her fingers drummed against the counter while she tried to spot Wade or Wanda but no one was near. Zoe sighed and clasped her hands together, holding her forehead. She just wanted to go home, see the huge _surprise_ that Joel is preparing for her and call it a day. But something tells her that it isn't going to be like that because Joel is going to make her talk about his surprise for the entire night. She smiled.

"Excuse me?" a female voice came from her left side, making her rise her head. A pretty woman was standing in front of her with a short red dress covering her body. _Well, most of it_. She brushed a strand of her brown hair for behind her shoulders and smiled at Zoe "Do you know where's the owner?"

"Wade?" Zoe said and shook her head "No, I don't. I'm here waiting for him as well, but I can't see-"

"You are here for him?" the girl narrowed her eyebrows "What for?"

"I don't know what that would interest _you_," Zoe said, waving a hand towards her "But I'm here to pick up my boyfriend's laptop."

Zoe looked away and rolled her eyes. The attitude of that girl was just...

"I'm sorry" the girl insisted, making Zoe sigh before turn to her again "It's just... I'm here to talk with Wade and-"

"Talk?" Zoe arched an eyebrow looking at how short her dress was. It was impossible that the girl just wanted to talk with him.

"Yes, well... finish _unfinished_ business" she laughed and it made Zoe feel like she was about to throw up. _Wade and his bimbos!_ _Seriously!_ "Wade and I have so much to tell, you wouldn't know"

"I can only imagine" Zoe said, faking a smile. She really wasn't on the mood. Her dress was starting to stick to her body because of the heat inside of the bar and her high heels were killing her, hurting her feet. The only thing she wanted was to hear one of Wade's stories with one of his one night stand bimbos.

"You see, one night me and Wade had the most amazing time" the girl pat her hand on the counter and looked around the bar. Zoe just wanted Wade to appear so she could ask for Joel's laptop and go away from this girl "On the night of Battle of the Bands-"

Zoe's eyes looked away from the counter and gazed at the girl. It felt like someone just punched her right in the stomach. _Battle of the Bands_... it was the night where Wade cheated on Zoe. Could this be the girl...?

"Well, after a few drinks Wade took me home" the girl smiled, lost in her thoughts. But it only made Zoe feel bad. Why was she still there listen to this? The night when Wade admited that he cheated on her ran through her mind and it made her heart beat fast again her chest. Why was she letting the girl continue, not making her stop, knowing that it would make her re-open scars? "We had such a great time at the bar that he thought it would be a good idea taking all the fun to his place. But of course he was so drunk that he passed out on his bed. We never finished what we started here, but I'm here to make it up to him."

Zoe felt her eyes coming wet. But Wade told her he cheated on her. He told her that! He wouldn't lie to her, would he?

"_Hmm_..." Zoe closed her eyes for a second, trying to keep her balance. Everything was now racing on her mind, making her feel dizzy "But I heard he had a girlfriend and they broke up because... Well people say that he cheated on her on the _Battle of the Bands'_ night"

"Oh right" the girl laughed and waved a hand, pointing a finger next to Zoe "That was my fault. Ya see, when he woke up, I told him that we had an amazing night. I let him think that we actually had sex... but the only thing I didn't know was that he had a girlfriend or I would have never told him that-"

Zoe could feel her hands trembling and her heart almost coming out from her mouth. Wade didn't cheat on her? That changed everything. She knew that she should have made the girl stop talking. And now she wasn't sure that if not telling her to stop was a good or a bad thing. Because now it changed everything - everything could have been different if the girl didn't tell him that... they really had sex. Would they still be together? The thought made the air ran out from her lungs.

Suddenly, Zoe felt like crying. She cried so much for him, felt so bad and made stupid things because she thought he cheated on her! And he didn't! How could... The anger towards Wade disappeared when the rational side of her remembered Zoe that Wade doesn't know too that he didn't cheat on Zoe that night.

Zoe looked to the girl again and narrowed her eyes at her. It was all this girl's fault. She could have been happy with Wade and... and... she ruined it!

"I can't seem to find him anywhere!" the girl sighed and pouted "Do you think I should go home?"

Zoe's eyes filled up with tears. And then she made something she didn't think she would do. She shook her head "No," Zoe said, her voice coming out hoarse "Wait here for him. I'm sure he will enjoy to see you"

She wanted to see his reaction when he saw her. Would he look happy to see her or would Wade be upset with her and tell her to leave? She wouldn't know. But she wants to.

"I'm sure too" the girl smiled and pat on Zoe's shoulder "Thanks a lot!"

A shadow coming from the other side of the counter made Zoe turn her look from the girl. Wade was standing in front of her and looking confused to the two girls "Zoe?" he said, putting a dirty cloth on his shoulder. Zoe stood quiet for a while looking at him, with tears on her eyes, threating to fall.

"I'm sorry, what's your name?" Zoe asked the girl.

"Claudette" the girl smiled at her. Zoe nodded her head and faked a smile, looking to Wade next. His eyes were opened wide. Zoe bit her lip and then grabbed on her bag, leaving the Rammer Jammer. On her way to the carriage house, Zoe stopped for a while to cry. Her heart was weighing pounds and it was making it hard to breathe.

A sob came out from her throat, making more tears fall from her eyes. Her hands stood above her knees while she tried to catch her breath again, between her sobs. He didn't cheat on her and it was making her feel more awful than she should. After all, Zoe had Joel now. And he was a great guy... but she still couldn't help but think how it would have been if he knew that he didn't cheat on her.

She rushed to clean her tears and entered the carriage house.

"_Surprise!_" Joel smiled at her, opening his arms. Zoe looked around her, tears blurring her vision but she could still see the candles and the rose petals on the floor. And in the middle of the room, was a small table with too plates and champagne.

"Joel" she said, with a sob coming out. The rushed to clean the tears that fell from her eyes and walked towards him, hugging him "It's beautiful! I loved it!"

"Thank you!" Joel said with a smile when she let go of him "Lavon and AnnaBeth helped me a bit, I must admit. I'm not very good at these stuff..."

"It's perfect, thank you babe" she muttered, giving him a little kiss on his lips. She rushed to hug him again, so that he couldn't see another tear falling from her eyes. Wade wouldn't to these stuff to her, because she knew how great he was doing simple things with a huge meaning. And it made her heart tighten.

"Let's eat, shall we?" Joel pushed her chair so that Zoe could sit. Then he sat in front of her, helping himself with some food "Wait. Where's my laptop?"

"Oh" with everything that happened on the bar, Zoe forgot why she really had go to the Rammer Jammer "It was filled with people and... W-Wade and Wanda couldn't talk to me. I'll go there in the morning and give it to you"

"Alright, thanks" Joel said and they started to eat.

During the entire dinner, Zoe's mind was occupied with Claudette's voice and the memories of the night when she broke up with Wade. It was making her heart hurt just to think about it but she couldn't help it. There was so many things she wanted to ask Claudette and Wade at the same time, but she couldn't find the courage to do it or the reasons. The reasons was more important. Why would she talk about that with Wade when she tried to hard to prove him that she moved one? After all their conversations about this subject, why would she touch that again?

Most important, why would she dare to re-open scars?

"What do you think about this?" Joel looked around him, poiting his fork to the room. Zoe stood quiet for a while but when Joel looked at her searching for an answer, Zoe smiled and nodded her head.

"It's... great to be home" Zoe said but she wasn't sure anymore. After what she heard tonight, she didn't know how long she could pretend that everything was alright around Wade. Zoe was going to start taking her breakfast at Lavon's again and she would see Wade everyday. And Claudette and her talk would come to her mind and remind her of what they lost to that stupid girl's hands "I missed this" she wasn't lying. She missed how much memories the room made her remember. Most of them, were memories of Wade but she didn't care.

"I believe" Joel nodded "This is quiet confortable. Cozy. I like this in here"

Me too, she thought. You have no idea.

"Babe, I have another surprise" Joel's eyes shined with the candles' light reflecting on his glasses. He got up and opened his bag, bringing a little plastic bag on his hands.

"Oh honey I thought who were joking when you told me" Zoe smiled, dropping her fork trying to focus all her attention on Joel. No more Wade for today.

"I wasn't" Joel smiled and sat in front of her again "When I told you that I wanted to make it up to you, I was being serious."

He opened the plastic bag and from there, he grabbed a small red box. Zoe's eyes shined. Is that a diamond necklace? That would make sense. Joel has been acting jealous around the necklace that Wade gave to her on her birthday. Wade. Everything lead down to him. Zoe's rushed to take the necklace off and put it on the table, ready for Joel to give her a new one.

Joel got up and walked to her, to then get on his knees "Babe... you know I love you and I already told you that the only thing I want is the best for you" Joel smiled. Zoe felt her heart beat even faster on her chest "And because of that I bought you this."

He opened the little box and at first her eyes didn't understand what it was. But then the question came to her ears "_**Will you marry me, Zoe Hart?**_"

* * *

**A/N:** So, as I said. I know that you guys probably don't like the end of this chapter. Just try to remember this is a Zade story and nothing bad is going to happen to them! Have faith and fear not, my dear readers! Thanks


End file.
